Hero Dad Recounts How He Stopped Oregon Elementary School Shooter: ‘I Have to Go In’

In a poignant interview conducted on 23 October, Kaylub Giamanco, a carpenter and father of two from Bend, Oregon, revealed the harrowing details surrounding his courageous intervention during a tragic school shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School. The incident, which occurred on 15 October, resulted in the death of four individuals, including a teacher and three young students.

Giamanco was on site at the school during what was meant to be a routine picture day, a decision he later attributed to a series of seemingly minor choices he had made earlier in the day. He had opted for an early lunch instead of running errands during his break. This fortuitously timed choice led him to the vicinity of the school just moments before the horrific events unfolded.

As the chaos erupted, Giamanco was alerted to the gravity of the situation when he heard distressing cries for help from children within the school premises. An immediate sense of panic washed over him, prompting him to call 911 using a voice command. “I just was in full panic, like, ‘No, there’s children, there’s babies in there,’” he recounted during his interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting. However, even as he communicated with the emergency dispatcher, he felt an innate urgency to intervene.

Before entering the school, Giamanco retrieved a .40-caliber handgun from his truck, stating that he rarely used it. His instincts kicked in as he observed the shooter, later identified as 16-year-old Griffin J. John, firing indiscriminately in the vicinity. “I told them I had to act quickly. People are going to die,” Giamanco explained, emphasising the weight of his decision.

As he approached the school, Giamanco made the perilous choice to closely shadow the assailant while keeping himself concealed. Witnessing the terror unfold inside the classroom, he described hearing the heartbreaking pleas from children and the chilling sounds of gunfire. “I just started army crawling faster and faster,” he said, fearing that this might be his final act.

Giamanco’s resolve crystallised when he saw the shooter enter the classroom and subsequently engage in a struggle with a teacher. Seizing the opportunity, he burst through the door and aimed his weapon at the assailant. “I knew that he did not know that I was there,” Giamanco recalled, stating that he fired several shots to neutralise the threat. “I was afraid of him shooting anybody else,” he added, outlining the intensity of the moment.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Giamanco has been labelled a hero for his actions, although he expressed a mixture of emotions regarding the title. “I want to make a difference in my community,” he noted, reflecting on the broader implications of his intervention. He articulated a desire to utilise his voice for positive change, stating, “If I’m going to have a voice, then I’ll be damned if I’m not going to use it to change this world, to make it a better place.”

Despite his bravery, Giamanco conveyed feelings of sorrow, particularly towards the families of the victims. “I wish I could have saved their babies,” he lamented, as he continues to grapple with the trauma of that day. The memories haunt him; “I relive, I see faces, I hear voices, I hear screams,” he revealed, illustrating the emotional toll of the experience.

As the community continues to heal from the profound loss and trauma inflicted by the tragic event, Giamanco’s story stands as a testament to the complexities of human instinct and the impact of decisive action in the face of danger. His reflections resonate deeply within a society grappling with questions of safety, responsibility, and the pervasive threat of gun violence in schools.